Diascia plant named ‘Sumdia 01’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Diascia  plant named ‘Sumdia 01’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; freely and early flowering habit; intense red purple-colored flowers; and good temperature tolerance.

Botanical designation: Diascia elegans.

Variety denomination: ‘Sumdia 01’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Diasciaplant, botanically known as Diascia elegans, and hereinafter referred toby the cultivar name Sumdia 01.

The new Diascia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Lüdinghausen, Germany. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new early flowering Diascias with numerous flowers,attractive flower coloration and long flowering period.

The new Diascia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventorin June, 2002 of a proprietary seedling of Diascia elegans identified ascode number D 10, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with aproprietary seedling of Diascia elegans identified as code number D 11,not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Diascia wasselected as a single plant from the resulting progeny of thecross-pollination by the Inventor in April, 2003, in an controlledenvironment in Lüdinghausen, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Lüdinghausen, Germany since May 20, 2003, hasshown that the unique features of this new Diascia are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Sumdia 01 have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Sumdia 01’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Sumdia 01’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofDiascia:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Freely and early flowering habit.    -   4. Intense red purple-colored flowers.    -   5. Good temperature tolerance.

Plants of the new Diascia differ from plants of the female parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Diascia flower for a longer period of time        than plants of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Diascia have darker colored flowers than        plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Diascia differ from plants of the male parentselection primarily in lateral branch strength as plants of the newDiascia have stronger lateral branches than plants of the male parentselection.

Plants of the new Diascia can be compared to plants of the cultivarDiastu (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,949). In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Lüdinghausen, Germany, plants of the new Diascia differedfrom plants of the cultivar Diastu in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Diascia were more compact than plants of        the cultivar Diastu.    -   2. Plants of the new Diascia were more upright than plants of        the cultivar Diastu.    -   3. Plants of the new Diascia were more freely branching than        plants of the cultivar Diastu.    -   4. Plants of the new Diascia had shorter leaves and shorter leaf        petioles than plants of the cultivar Diastu.    -   5. Plants of the new Diascia flowered about three weeks earlier        than plants of the cultivar Diastu.    -   6. Plants of the new Diascia and the cultivar Diastu differed in        flower color as plants of the cultivar Diastu had lighter        colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Diascia.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a top perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Sumdia 01’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typicalflowering stems of ‘Sumdia 01’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Lüdinghausen, Germany, in aglass-covered greenhouse during the spring with day temperatures about15 to 18° C., night temperatures about 12° C., and light levels about20,000 to 30,000 lux. Plants were grown for about 12 weeks in 12-cmcontainers; plants were pinched one time.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Diascia elegans cultivar Sumdia 01.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary seedling of Diascia elegans            identified as code number D 10, not patented.        -   Male parent.—Proprietary seedling of Diascia elegans            identified as code number D 11, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 7 days at 18° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 8 to 9 days at 18° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 16 days            at 18° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 24 days            at 18° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; 162A in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.            Freely branching with lateral branches potentially forming            at every node. Moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 15 to 20 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 20 to 25 cm.        -   Lateral branches (peduncles).—Length: About 25 cm. Diameter:            About 1 to 1.5 mm. Internode length: About 1 to 2.5 cm.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144C.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite; simple. Length:            About 1.5 to 1.8 cm. Width: About 1.5 to 2 cm. Shape:            Cordate. Apex: Obtuse to acute. Base: Cordate. Margin:            Crenate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing            foliage, upper surface: 146A. Developing foliage, lower            surface: 146C. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 146A.            Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 146D. Venation, upper            surface: 146A. Venation, lower surface: 146D. Petiole            length: About 1 to 1.5 mm. Petiole diameter: About 1 mm.            Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.            Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces: 146B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Solitary zygomorphic flowers arranged            on terminal racemes. Five modified petals fused at base: two            upper (banner) petals, two lateral petals, and one larger            lower lip petal. Flowers not persistent. Flowers face            upright to outwardly.        -   Quantity.—Freely flowering; typically about 12 buds and            flowers per lateral branch.        -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period, plants            flower continuously from early spring until the fall in            Germany.        -   Time to flower.—Early flowering; plants begin flowering            about six weeks after pinching.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About four to five days.        -   Fragrance.—Not detected.        -   Inflorescence size.—Length: About 12 to 15 cm. Width: About            4 cm.        -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 1.5 to 1.7 cm. Depth: About 1.8            to 2 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 to 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 to            2 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: 143A.        -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five modified petals fused at            base: two upper (banner) petals, two lateral petals, and one            larger lower lip petal. Base of banner petals with concave            yellow eyespots; lower surfaces of lateral petals modified            into nectar spurs; and lower lip petal convex forming a            roughly horizontal insect landing platform. Length: Banner            petals: About 7 mm. Lateral petals: About 8 mm. Lower lip            petal: About 1.2 cm. Width: Banner petals: About 1 cm.            Lateral petals: About 6 mm. Lower lip petal: About 1 to            1.2 cm. Lateral petal spur: Length: About 6 mm. Diameter, at            petal attachment: About 2 mm. Shape, all petals: Roughly            obovate. Apex, all petals: Rounded. Margin, all petals:            Entire. Texture, all petals, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous. Color, all petals: When opening, upper            surface: 67D. When opening, lower surface: N66D. Fully            opened, upper surface: 68A; color becoming closer to N66C            with development. Fully opened, lower surface: 68B. Nectar            spurs: 68B; stripe, 77A. Eyespot on banner petals: Close to            7A.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals            fused at base; star-shaped. Length: About 3 mm. Width: About            1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly            pubescent. Color, upper surface: 146A. Color, lower surface:            146D.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.5 to 2 cm. Width: About 0.5 mm.            Angle: About 45 to 50° from vertical. Strength: Moderately            strong. Texture: Slightly pubescent. Color: 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About            three or four. Anther shape: Round. Anther length: Less than            0.5 mm. Anther color: 9A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen            color: 9A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length:            About 2 mm. Style length: Less than 0.1 mm. Style color:            138D. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: 138D. Ovary            color: 138D.        -   Fruit/seed.—Fruit and seed production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Diascia have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Diascia.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Diascia have been observed    to tolerate temperatures from 0 to 40° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Diascia plant named ‘Sumdia 01’, asillustrated and described.